Sniper Elite 3

Open Levels Give Players More Flexibility For Cat-And-Mouse Play

Sniper Elite V2 had some great ideas when Rebellion released the title in 2012. The varying degrees of difficulty related to wind and ballistics made finding a sniper nest and picking a shot extremely engaging. It was the moments away from the rifle scope that were a bit rough around the edges.

Sniper Elite 3, which is set in Africa during World War II, remedies a number of the problems of its predecessor with more logical artificial intelligence. In V2, once players took a shot, enemies would almost immediately know where to look. Not only wasn't this realistic, it was frustrating.

In Sniper Elite 3, the AI will duck for cover and soldiers close by will come to investigate. However, unless you take another shot or two from that location, they won't be able to hone in on you.

The new relocation gameplay loop forces snipers to find a spot, take the shot, and then move somewhere new to keep the enemy guessing. A hierarchy system is in place, and officers will drive grunts to find you faster (making them prime first targets). You can lure enemies with rocks, protect your back with trip mines, and toy with the Nazi forces just like you could in V2. The iconic X-ray kill camera also returns, as brutally satisfying as before (only this time with the enhanced power of the new consoles).

Where Sniper Elite 3 seeks to make major improvements though, is in its world design. Instead of the linear levels of the past, Rebellion has created open levels. Climbing to the top of sniper nests reveals more of the surroundings (similar to Assassin's Creed), and there is a much greater level of player freedom.

In addition to the in-game map, there are secret pathways that aren't labeled. Finding these will often give players an advantage, allowing you to sneak up on higher ground and quietly take out an enemy. You'll want to hide the bodies though, as enemies won't just see corpses, but they can accidentally bump into them if you leave them in higher brush that's on their patrol route.

Sniper Elite 3 will offer three cooperative modes, and this time the competitive multiplayer will be available from launch. Five different options will be available, and the relocation mechanic featured in the single player is incorporated.

The title will be out on PC on June 27, while the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions will be out on July 1.